The Devourable Half-Orc Camp (Bonus Update-Please Add to Favorites)

I've reached No. 15 on the New Book Rankings. At least you can see it in this spot on the computer version, so here's an extra update. Please add it to your favorites, recommend it, vote for it, and show your support in any other way!

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Gu Su stood deep inside the Half-Orc Camp, frowning as he surveyed his surroundings. A strange, familiar feeling rose inexplicably in his heart.

It was exactly the same feeling he'd had when he saw the Oil Depot Slug Shell.

He realized at once that he absolutely couldn't treat the Half-Orc Camp before him as an ordinary temporary outpost.

Like the Oil Depot Slug Shell, this camp, built around an abandoned building, was a target that the Graveyard Demon's Corruption Mycelium could corrupt and devour.

At the thought, Gu Su could no longer hold back. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately barked at the air, "White Crow, go at once and bring Coyote and his squad over. Hurry!"

After giving the order, he turned and hurried back to the edge of the woods, calling for the skeletons still gathering materials and clearing the battlefield to come over as quickly as possible.

The top priority now was to move all the stock and usable supplies out of the Half-Orc Camp. As for the earlier plan to build a cart, they would have to wait until Coyote Squad arrived and they had enough hands before deciding what to do.

The skeletons immediately stopped their work and hurried after Gu Su toward the camp. Their movements were still stiff, but they didn't waste a moment.

About ten minutes later, hurried footsteps sounded in the distance. Coyote, having received the order, arrived at the camp entrance with his squad.

Gu Su swept his gaze over them and immediately noticed that their hands were empty.

He understood. Coyote must have guessed what he had in mind and sent back all the supplies his squad had been transporting before coming here, so they wouldn't delay the work at hand.

"Coyote, you're just in time."

Gu Su raised a hand and pointed at the Half-Orc Camp before them, wasting no words.

"Clear out everything here that can be carried away. Take the corpses of the half-orcs in the woods, too. Don't leave a single thing behind."

Coyote glanced toward the camp in the direction Gu Su pointed, then quickly looked over the corpses piled at the edge of the woods. He immediately understood the urgency of the task and bowed without hesitation. "Don't worry, my lord. Leave it to me. We'll get everything moved as quickly as possible!"

Then he carefully surveyed the camp's layout. His gaze fell on the rough timber, animal hides, and remains of the abandoned building used to construct the camp. He looked up and asked, "My lord, can we dismantle the timber and hides here, along with the usable parts of this abandoned building, and take them with us?"

"Dismantle them and take everything. Don't waste a single usable thing."

Gu Su's tone was firm. After a brief pause, he added, "You and your squad get to work here. I'll head back to the Graveyard Demon first. I'll be back soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and headed out. Passing the badly injured skeletons, he told them to come with him.

The Graveyard Demon's burial ground could help them recover quickly. He couldn't leave them here.

Gu Su hurried back at a brisk pace and soon reached the Graveyard Demon's entrance.

He didn't even have time to go inside and catch his breath. He called out in the direction of the Graveyard Demon, "Give me a shopping cart filled with Corruption Mycelium. The sooner, the better!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the ground trembled slightly. A rusty but still fairly intact shopping cart shot up from underground, its basket piled high with snow-white Corruption Mycelium that gave off a faint, chilling aura.

"You lot, go in first."

Gu Su waved to the badly injured skeletons beside him, his tone softening a little.

"Go back to your graves and rest. Once you've mostly recovered, follow the same route back to the Half-Orc Camp and find me."

As he watched the injured skeletons slowly enter the Graveyard Demon, Gu Su didn't delay. He immediately pushed the cart full of Corruption Mycelium around and sprinted toward the Half-Orc Camp.

The round trip, including the time spent arranging for the skeletons to rest, hadn't taken long at all—no more than fifteen minutes.

But by the time Gu Su pushed the cart back to the Half-Orc Camp, the scene before him had changed completely.

Coyote Squad's efficiency had exceeded Gu Su's expectations.

Several neatly packed piles of supplies had already been stacked outside the camp. Coyote was directing his squad as they divided up the work.

Several skeletons were using coarse hemp rope found in the camp to bundle the dried wild fruits and grain roots into separate small packages, then wrapping each one in a thick layer of animal hide to keep out moisture.

The weapons had been sorted by type. Greatswords and heavy clubs were piled together, while long bone spears had been lined up and tightly bound with vines to keep them from clattering loose during transport.

The rough timber they had dismantled had been cut into equal lengths and tied into pairs. The hides and usable planks from the abandoned building had been stacked neatly and bound tightly with hemp rope in a cross pattern.

All the supplies had been sorted, packed, and securely tied. Two skeletons to a team held each bundle steady, waiting for orders.

Even the corpses of the half-orcs in the woods had all been moved to the camp entrance and neatly arranged.

The skeletons had made simple corpse racks from sturdy branches, laying the half-orc corpses side by side and securing them with short ropes to keep them from slipping off. Two skeletons worked together to carry each rack, with eight half-orc corpses neatly arranged on top. They moved steadily, without any trouble at all.

It was clear that with tools to help them, two skeletons working together could easily carry at least eight corpses without slowing down.

Coyote Squad alone could pack up every supply and corpse here and carry them away without the slightest delay.

Coyote patrolled back and forth nearby, occasionally using a bone claw to tighten a loose knot and make sure every item was securely packed, without wasting a single thing.

As expected of his best hauling squad: efficient, capable, and worry-free.

Gu Su watched the scene before him and secretly approved, though his expression remained unchanged.

He hadn't hurried here with the shopping cart to check on their progress.

He strode to the center of the camp, stopped, and tipped all the Corruption Mycelium from the cart onto the ground in one swift motion.

The snow-white mycelium scattered and instantly covered a small patch of ground. It slowly spread outward through the cracks in the earth.

The instant the Corruption Mycelium touched the camp's ground, a voice suddenly sounded in Gu Su's ear:

[Detected land that can be corrupted and devoured: Half-Orc Camp (Abandoned Neighborhood Security Office). Devour?]

Just as he'd thought!

This was exactly what Gu Su had been waiting for.

He answered decisively, "Devour."

[Choose a transformation after devouring:

1. Obtain Broadcast Station (Level 1). Broadcast to the outside once per day (cost: 5 points of Yin energy), attracting 5 to 10 undead to approach the base.

2. Obtain Combat Outpost (Level 1). By consuming Yin energy, gold coins, metal, and other materials, transform ordinary undead into the corresponding undead warriors.

3. Obtain Gatekeeper Outpost (Level 1). Assign undead to station there and transform them into guarding undead responsible for patrolling and maintaining the city gates.]